Written Answers Tuesday 7 October 2008

Scottish Executive

Enterprise

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been made from abolishing local enterprise companies and the subsequent restructuring of the local enterprise network.

Jim Mather: The quantification of such savings is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I shall ask the chief executives of each of these organisations to write to you in this regard.

Health

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will look at producing a set of standards for the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with neuromuscular conditions including muscular dystrophy.

Shona Robison: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) is working on clinical standards for all neurological conditions including neuromuscular conditions such as muscular dystrophy. NHS QIS expects the draft standards to be ready for consultation in autumn 2008, with publication in summer 2009.

  The Scottish Muscular Network is also developing standards of care for patients, which are consistent with the standards operated by the neuromuscular centres in Newcastle and London, and take full account of multi-disciplinary working.

International Development

David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why it has decided to remove development education from its International Development Policy, which was published in May 2008.

Linda Fabiani: The previous International Development Policy did not specifically highlight development education and therefore this has not been removed. The Scottish Government fully recognises the importance of development education and this is being delivered in schools through "Curriculum for Excellence".

Nuclear Power

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has regular dialogue with those who run Hunterston nuclear power station about safety measures at the facility.

Jim Mather: Nuclear safety is a reserved matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who regulate safety at civil nuclear installations. Safety at specific sites such as Hunterston are a matter for the site operator and HSE. On nuclear contingency planning arrangements, the Scottish Government has regular dialogue with operators and other stakeholders via the UK led Nuclear Emergency Planning Liaison Group (NEPLG) and the Scottish Nuclear Emergencies Group (SNEG). In addition, officials liaise with site operators via the Site Stakeholder Groups (SSGs) for each site. The SSGs allow representatives from the local community to discuss issues of public interest, including safety, with the site operator.

Nuclear Power

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its criteria are for informing the public about any shortcomings in safeguards at Hunterston nuclear power station under civil contingency arrangements.

Jim Mather: Officials are in regular touch with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the off site emergency response implications of its safety work and would work with HSE to take whatever action is required when information comes to our attention.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16170 by John Swinney on 23 September 2008, how it will break down the nature and extent of representations submitted by members of the public, including support for different options, to inform its decision regarding the planning application by Trump International Golf Links, Scotland; whether it will make this information public, and, if so, how

John Swinney: Legitimate public concern or support expressed on relevant planning matters will be taken into account in the decision-making process.

  Once the planning decision is made the report of the public local inquiry will be published on the Scottish Government website along with other relevant information and advice submitted to me by my officials. This will demonstrate how the relevant issues, including representations by members of the public, were taken into account.

Public Appointments

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what due diligence was carried out before appointments were made to the Council of Economic Advisers.

John Swinney: Appropriate due diligence was applied when members were appointed to the Council of Economic Advisers.

Scottish Futures Trust

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are proposed for the appointment of further members of the Scottish Futures Trust.

John Swinney: I intend to appoint non-executive Directors to the Board of the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) to support Sir Angus Grossart in his role as Chairman as soon as possible. These initial appointments will – along with Sir Angus’ appointment – be for a one year period and are outside the scope of the Code on Public Appointments published by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS) because SFT is not a regulated body. Our intention is that SFT will become a regulated body in due course, after which future appointments will be governed by the OCPAS Code.

Scottish Government Communications

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which of its officials are authorised to make official statements to the media on its behalf and what record is kept of such statements.

John Swinney: Scottish Government official statements are issued by officials in the Communications Directorate, usually in the form of news releases but also in response to individual media enquiries, or in answer to questions put at the daily briefings for parliamentary journalists. All news releases to national media are published on the Scottish Government website. A note of each Scottish Government briefing to parliamentary journalists is published on the website.

Tourism

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been made from reducing the number of VisitScotland hubs.

Jim Mather: It is too early to confirm the exact amount of any savings made as result of VisitScotland’s restructuring as of 1 April 2008. Estimated savings were listed in The Scottish Government’s Efficiency Delivery Plans 2008-11 which is already in the public domain, and was supplied to the Finance Committee, and can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/82980/0059111.pdf.

  See: DG Economy 14 / Energy, Enterprise and Tourism (page 44).